Intensive care unit doctors at St. Paul’s Hospital have done away with daily routine blood tests on patients without affecting the quality of care, simply by challenging a long-held dictum that those who are critically ill need to have blood drawn that frequently.

Doctors at St. Paul’s Hospital have changed the x-ray policy, saving $40,000 annually and sparing patients from X-ray radiation and freeing up staff time and other resources for more-proven interventions.